Knitting-machine.



v Patented. May 13, i902.. W.' H. SHERIDANJ K'NITTING MACHINE.

(Application led June 11, 1901.)

2 SheetsIf-*Sheet l.-

(No Model.)

@2M/fw- No. 699,930. Patented Ma'y I3, i902.l

w. H. sH'EBDANI.:

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 11, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED 'STATES PATENT FFICE.

wILLInM'H. SHERIDAN, on rI'rrsnIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,930, dated May 13, 1902.

Application filed June 1l, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM H. SHERIDAN, a citizen of the United States,residingat Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Knitting-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

In machines employing two sets of springneedles for knitting ribbed fabric it is customary to employ two knock-olf bars, one bar for each set of needles, the bar for the series of horizontal needles occupying a stationary position, whilethe bar coacting with the vertical needles is moved so that it acts to knock the loops off the vertical needles while the hooked ends of the horizontalneedles occupy a position in front of the series of vertical needles, or, in other words, the loops are knocked olf the vertical needles while the loop of the fabric'held on the horizontal needles lies on the Shanks of Said needles near the points of their beards. In this old form of machine much difficulty is experienced in using heavy yarn or yarn unevenly spun, as well as slack-twistedyarn.

My invention has for its object to improve this well-known class of knitting-machine, so that any yarn, either heavy-weight or unevenly-spun or slack-twisted yarns, may be employed in the knitting of a ribbed fabric, as well as the finer, even, and hard-twisted yarns. To accomplish this purpose, I have provided means whereby the needle-bar carrying the horizontal needles and occupying a position with their points at the rear side of said vertical needles is moved forward or toward said vertical needles for a distance sufficient only to slacken the strain on the loops then held between the two sets of needles, and the tension on the loops held by the needles having been somewhat relaxed the horizontal needles are held substantially stationary with-their front ends behind the vertical needles while the knock-off bar coperating with the vertical needles is raised to knock the loop olf the upper ends of the verticall needles, and this done the horizontal needles are moved forwardly for their full stroke through the loops then held on their Serial No. 64,165. (No model.)

Shanks, said needles receiving yarn for the formation of new loops, and the Vertical needles, the knitted loops having been cast off their tops in the meantime, are raised above the horizontal needles that yarn may be fed to the horizontal needles, vthe latter during their movement rearwardly drawing the yarn through the loops on theirshanks and laying the yarn held by them across the Shanks ot the vertical needles, so that the latter when they descend may take the threadg/ form it into loops which are drawn throug the loops then on the shanks of the vertic needles.

In my invention the knock-off bar for the vertical needles when in its elevated operative position occupies a position in-and preferably slightly above the'plane in which the horizontal needles movefand said bar has a continuous upward movement into said position until the stitches are cast off, said vertica'l needles at such time also descending.

Figure 1 is a sectional detail of a sufficient portion of a well-known knitting-machine with my improvements added to enable my invention to be understood. Figs. 2 and 3 are details of newly-devised cams to enable my machine to be operated in accordance with my invention. Figs. 4 to 10 are views showing the parts in the positions they will occupy in knitting a ribbed fabric in accordance with my invention'.

My invention is applicable to any wellknown knitting-machine using horizontal and vertical or crossing needles of the bearded class. An early form of machines-of this class is represented in United States Patent No. 28,133, dated May 1, 1860.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents part of the framework; AX, a cam-shaft; A', a needlebarsuitably connected with a slide A2 and carrying a series of. horizontal needles ct of the bearded variety. B is a lever pivoted loosely on a shaft B and engaging a stud a2 yarn, and eachset of needles in practice will IOO have cooperating with it suitable beard-closers, as shown in said patent or as usual in the class of machine using two sets of bearded or crossing needles, and the horizontal needles will have coacting with them usual sinkers to act on the yarn and sink it between the horizontal needles. 'lhe knock-olf bar D is employed to knock the usual loops on the vertical needles over the heads of said needles and to even and set the stitch.

The invention herein to be described relates more particularly to actuating the horizontal needles and the knock-olf bar D in such a manner as to reduce the strain on the thread being knitted, so that knitting may be done with large yarns, yarns not evenly spun, and also slack-twisted yarns without the liability of their being broken.

The cam-shaft A is provided with a cam I), which acts upon and moves the lever B, said cam controlling the movement of the bar carrying the horizontal needles. This cam iu accordance with my invention has a face b', which may be adjusted on the body of the cam to provide a space in which the roller of the lever for moving the needle-bar may enter, and thereby enable the horizontal needles to be started forwardly a little sooner than though the curved end of the cam was a true circle, thus stoppingr momentarily the forward movement of said needles, this slight forward movement and lrest of the horizontal needles enabling theloops crossing from one to the other set of needles to be slackened just as the knock-olf bar coaeting with the vertical needles acts te knock off from said needles the loops then on theirshan ks, and said loops having been knocked off the horizontal needles are again started forwardly and are moved to the extent of their forward stroke. The face b' has a wing b2, provided with a slot b3, entered by a set-screw b4 by which to clamp the face in its adj usted position to leave more or less of a recess, as b5, to permit a slight forward movement of the horizontal needles while the knock-olf bar D for the vertical needles is raised, as will be described, in front of the horizontal needles to east the loops on the vertical needles over their upper ends. It is necessary with dilerent yarns to vary the extent of this preliminary forward movement given tothe horizontal needles, and to do this accurately and positively I have provided means for adjusting the said wing b2, said means, as shown, consisting of a screw 4 and an abutment 5, against which the screw rests.

The knock-over bar D for the vertical needles derives its movement from a cam d, having usual throw-points G 7 and in accordance with my invention an additional throw-point 8, the latter point 8 acting in advance of the points 6 and 7 to move said bar upwardly farther than ever before provided for in machines of this class just after starting the horizontal needles forward to slacken the loops then held stretched from one to the otherset of needles, the upward movement of said knock-oli" bar taking place while the forward movement of the horizontal needles, the loops having been slaekened, as stated, is substantially suspended, the upper edge of said knock-over bar coming into a position up to or above the plane in which the lower sides of the horizontal needles reciprocate. The usual throw-points (i and 7 act in succession to cause the knock-over bar D to rise and contact with the loops of the knitted fabric and by contact therewith even and set to shape the stitches. I

The knock-over bar D, guided in its Vertical movements in usual manner, has connected with it near each end a suitable arm D2, surrounding loosely the shaft B', said arm being provided with a suitable roller or other studD, resting on the peripheryof the cam. The levers B and D2 and their actuating-cams are duplicated at each end of the machine.

In accordance with my invention and in practicing my new method of knitting Isupply the horizontal needles a with yarn in the position Fig. 4, sink the yarn in usual manner between said needles, and draw the horizontal needles fully back, as represented in Fig. 5, closing their beards and drawing new loops of yarn through the loops then surrounding the shanks of said needles, the knock-over bar Bfs serving to knock the loop on said needles from their ends over the closed beards, and the vertical needles are lowered, as in Fig. G. Vhen the horizontal needles are in their rearward position, Fig. 5, that portion of the circular part ll of the cam b contacts with and holds the needle-bar A back. In the continued movement of the cam h in the direction of the arrow thereon the recess l2, following theV circular part ll, said recess being more or less in extent, according to the adjustment of the face b, arrives in contact with the said lever B and immediately the spring B2 acts and starts the needle-bar A' forwardly into the position Fig. G, and while the end of the face b acts on said lever the needle-bar A is substantially stopped in its forward motion, such slight preliminary forward movement of said needle-bar resulting in slackening or reducing the strain on the loop extended from one to the otherset of needles. This preliminary forward movement and substantial rest of the horizontal needles is broadly new with me. lVith the needles in the condition Fig. G, the knock-over bar D has imparted to it the novel movement herein provided fori. e., the point 8 for the first time used by me acts to lift the knock-over bar and put its edge into the plane of or above the plane of movement of the horizontal needles, so that said knock-over bar acts against the loops of yarn extending from one to the other set of needles and knocks over the loop on the vcrtical needles while the tension is relaxed.

Fig. 7 shows the knock-over bar slightly depressed and the horizontal needles advancing in the next step in knitting, while Figs.

ICO

IIO

S, 9, and 10,'respectively, show the relation of the vertical and horizontal needles and knockover bar in completing a cycle of movements in the knitting operation.

I believe that it is new to slacken theloops held extended between the horizontal and vertical needles and while so slackened to lift the knock-over bar coacting with the vertical needles to knock the loops next to be discharged over the upper ends of said needles, and I desire to claim this feature, broadly, independently of the particular mechanical means employed to impart to said horizontal needle-bar and the knock-over bar D their new movements to therebyimprove the machine and the knitting.

Having describedV my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a straight-knitting machine for knitting ribbedrwork,a setof substantially horizontal and a set of substantially vertical bearded needles, means to actuate the vertical needles, means to impart a preliminary forward movement to said horizontal needles and then substantially arrest them with their free ends back of the rear sides of the vertical needles to thereby suliciently slacken the tension on the loops-held by both sets of said needles, a knock-off bar, and means to actuate it while the horizontal needles -are substantially arrested to meet and knock'over from the Shanks ofthe Vertical needles the loops next to be cast off in the knitting.

2. In a straight-knitting machine for knitting ribbed work, two sets of bearded needles,

one set being arranged substantially verticall Y and the other substantiallyhorizontal, means sets of said needles, a knock-ott bar,and means' to actuate it while the horizontal'needles are l in position to slacken the loops putting the acting edge of said knock-off bar in or above the plane of movement of the under sides of the horizontal needles.

3. In a machine of the class described, a series of vertical needles, means to actuate them, a needle-bar having an attached series of horizontal needles, means for moving said horizontal needles forwardly,actuating-levers coactin g with the bar carrying said horizontal needles, and av cam having a depression to enable the bar carrying said horizontal needles to partake of a preliminary forward movement and then arrest said bar with the ends of the horizontal needles near the rear sides of the vertical needles, to thereby slacken the tension on the loops extended from one to the other set of said needles. preparatory to knocking off the loops held on the Shanks of the vert-ical needles.

4. In a machine of the class described,a series of vertical needles, means to actuate them, a knock-oft bar coacting with the vertical needles, means to actuate said knock-off bar, a needle-bar having ank attached series of horizontal needles, ,actuatinglevers for said bar, and a cam having an adjustable face whereby a period of substantial rest may be given to the horizontal needles in their forward movement, to thereby slacken-the ten-4 sion on the loops extended from one to the other set of said needles preparatory to knocking o the loopsheld on the shanks` of the vertical needles. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SHERIDAN 

